Process and apparatus for treating hydrocarbons.



R. R. ROSENBAUM.

PROCESS AND'APPARATUS FOR TREATING HYDROCARBONS. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 3. I911.

1,324,983. gamma Dec. 16,1919.

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ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFIOE.

RUDOLPH B. ROSENBAUM, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING HYDROOARBONS.

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, RUDOLPH R. Rosen- BAUM, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Processes and Apparatus for routing Hydrocarbons, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved process and apparatus for treating hydrocarbons and its object is to obtain a greater percentage of a desired low boiling hydrocarbon from a given quantity of crude oil or petroleum than has heretofore been possible. It is well known practice to secure and separate the various hydrocarbons by the distillation of petroleum, the various hydrocarbons being driven ofi at different stages of temperature according to their respective boiling points, the various hydrocarbons being separated and condensed by the process of fractional condensation. In this distillation and condensation process of the prior art the percentage of low boiling hydrocarbons obtained is relatively small.

The main object of my invention is to provide a process or treatment which will crack or break up the heavier hydrocarbons to thereby effect the release of lower hydrocarbons. The important feature of my improved process is the utilization of kinetic heat energy for cracking or breaking up of the heavier hydrocarbons. In accordance with my process I heat the hydrocarbons in their liquid state considerably above their normal boiling temperature, such heating being under comparatively heavy pressure so that a large amount of kinetic heat energy is stored, the highly heated liquid resulting from such superheating being discharged into low pressure surroundings to be expanded into vapors whereupon the released inetic heat energ becomes effective to break up the heavier hydrocarbon vapors into lighter vapors. These vapors can then be separated and condensed. The petroleum oil can be directly subjected to this su erheating under pressure, or the oil can rst be run through the ordinary distilling and dephlegmation proce-s, and then all or part of the condensates either together or separately subjected to the breaking process.

\Vhere my breaking up process is used in' connection with a still and dephlegmator the condensates are pumped from the dephlegmator and suluected to uperheatmg under Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 3, 1917.

Patented Dec. 16, 1919.

Serial No. 194,439.

pressure and discharged into the still the liberated kinetic heat ener then breaking up the resulting vapors an also acting on any oil within the still to highly heat it and break up the heavier hydrocarbons into lighter hydrocarbons. The resulting vapors are then delivered from the still to the dephlegmator for further fractional condensation.

On the accompanying drawing the figure diagrammatically illustrates sim le apparatus for carrying out my improve process.

A still 1 is mounted over a furnace 2 having the grate 3 and the flue or stack 4. 1) represents a dephlegmator such as is disclosed in my Patent No. 1,222 801, April 17 1917, although other types of dephlegmators may be utilized. The dome 5 of the still is connected by the pipe 6 with the lower end of the drum 7 of the dephlegmator. This drum is vertically divided by thehorizontal partitions 8, there being a pan 9 below each partition separated from the drum by an annular space 10. From the center of each partition a tube 11 extends downwardly into the pan below, the partitions above the tubes being reticulated; A piping circuit 12 for cooling fluid encircles the various tubes 11. From the top of the drum a pipe 13 extends downwardly to a header 14s with which header the pipe -coil 15 connects and is immersed in cooling fluid within the condenser tank 16. The stand-pipe 17 alongside of the drum connects by pipes 18 with the various pans, and pipes 19 extend from the standpipe to the reticulated portions of the partitions. Each pipe 18 is controlled by a valve 20 and each pipe 19 is controlled by a valve 21. A pipe 22 also extends from the standpipe to the bottom of the drum and is controlled by a valve 23. The stand-pipe has also several valves 24 for opening or closing various sections of the pipe.

The operation of the still and dephlegmator is well understood in the art. The vapors from the still pass into the bottom of the dephlegmator drum and circulate serially through the drum as indicated by the arrows, the fractional condensation taking place as the vapors meet cooler temperatures in their upward travel in the drum. The vapors of highest boiling point condense first. the vapors of low boiling point which are not condensed passing through pipe 13 into the header 14 and thence through the condenser 153, the condensed vapors being discharged from the outlet 25. The various condensates within the drum are collected in the pans 19, and, as disclosed in my patent above referred to, these condensates can be discharged from one pan into the other by manipulation of the various valves or they can be separately withdrawn from the dephlegmator. In some prior processes some or all of the condensates are returned to the still and are re heated and then vapors again passed through the dephlegmator for fur ther separation. does not result in a very great increase in percentage of lighter hydrocarbons and a considerable amount of such higher hydrocarbons is therefore not obtained.

In accordance with my present process I provide apparatus for highly heating the condensates under pressure and cause generated kinetic heat energy to break up the heavier hydrocarbons so that a large percentage of lighter hydrocarbons are liberated which are then separated in the dephlegmator. The apparatus shown comprises'a suitable furnace 26 within which is a coil 27 in which the condensates are heated. The stand-pipe 17 is connected by a pipe 28 with an accumulator tank 29, the pipe 30 connecting the bottom of the drum with this pipe 28, the valve 31 being interposed. The lower end of the accumulator connects with a high pressure pump 32, the outlet of the pump being connected by pipe 33 with one end of the heating coil 27. In this pipe 33 is interposed a pressure valve ,34 whose construction is well understood in the art. From the other end of the heating coil a pipe 35 leads to the still 1 and in this pipe is interposed another pressure valve 36. The pipe 35 extends along the bottom of the still where it has the outlet openings 37. The pressure valves are relatively adjusted so that the condensate is under the desired pressure while bein heated in the coil 27, a gage 38 being pre erably provided on the coil to indicate the pressure thereon. The gage 39 is also shown on theaccumulator tank 29 to indicate the amount of condensate therein.

Describing now the operation, the crude oil is poured into the stilland heated, the driven off vapors flowing to the dephlegmator where they are condensed, the heavier hydrocarbons being collected in the bottom of the drum and in the various pans, while the lighter hydrocarbon vapors, such as gasolene, flow through the pipe 13 to be condensed in the coil 15. Thus far only a part of the available gasolene has been obtained from the crude oil, the various condensates in the dephlegniator still retaining some of the lighter hydrocarbons. If the valve 31 is open the condensate at the bottom of the drum flows through pipe 28 into the accumulator tank and as soon as the condensates in the various pans rise above the levels of However, such treatment the pipes 18 they will flow through the ipof my method, suppose that a quantity of crude oil is distilled and treated in the ordinary manner. Suppose that the oil is of 34.2 B, and that it is heated in the tank beginning with a temperature of say 100 degrees F. and the temperature then increased during the distillation operation to from 480 degrees to 510 degrees. The following results and products might be obtained:

18% of gasolene of from 60 to 61 gravity 8% naphtha 48 to 50 19% kerosene 42 to 43 2% Loss 47% total ield and leaving 53% petro eum tailings.

If now, the said oil had been subjected to .mfy improved process, under a temperature 00 degrees to 850 degrees F. and pressure increasing from say 50 to 200 pounds per square inch, the following result would be obtained:

27% of gasolene of from 60 to 61 gravity. 14% naphtha 48 to 50 7% kerosene 42 to 43 5% Loss 53% total yield and leaving 47% petroleum tailings.

The decided increase in the yield of gasolene and naphtha results from the cracking up of the vapors when suddenly expanded in the still after the condensates from the 'dephlegmator have been subjected to unusual heat and pressure.

The process of superheating condensates under pressure can be repeated several times until there is no further yield of the particular hydrocarbon desired. Instead of running all the condensates together through the superheater, only part thereof can be thus treated. For example, the condensate in the upper pan of the dephlegmator can b treated separately by mam ulating the various valves and drawing this condensate into the accumulator tank and pumping it through the superheater.

I thus produce a method, system, and apparatus by means of which any desired hydrocarbon of a certain boiling point can be obtained in greatly increased quantity released kinetic heat ener from a iven quantity of crude oil or a hydrocar n of a higher boiling pomt. By associatin simple superheatmg and pressure pro ucing mechanism with the ordision chamber, the released kinetic energy acting on the enerated vapors and also on any oil in the still to break up the heavier hydrocarbons into lighter hydrocarbons, and then when the vapors from the still are again passed through the dephlegmator a quantity of any desired hydrocarbon can be obtained in addition to that resulting from the first passage of the crude oil vapors from .the still through the dephlegmator.

- I do not of course desire to be limited to the exact procedure and apparatus shown and'described as modifications are no doubt possible which would still come within the scope of the invention.

I claim as follows:

1. The process of treating hydrocarbon oil which comprises distilling it, dephlegmating the resulting vapors and IGIIIOVIIIO the vapors of hydrocarbons of the desired boiling point, subjecting the dephlegmated condensates of higher boiling point to sufficient pressure and at a temperature above the normal boiling point to cause kinetic heat energy to be stored in the condensates, discharging theheated and compressed condensates into lower pressure surrounding for expansion thereof into vapors and to permit the to break up the vapors to form vapor o the hydrocarbon of the desired boillng point, and dephle mating the resulting vapors to obtain an a ditional supply of condensate of the hydr ecarbon of the desired boiling point.

2. The process of obtaining a lighter hydrocarbon from a cruder hydrocarbon which consists in subjecting the cruder hydrocarbon to heat in a still, fractionally condensing the resulting vapors and removing the vapors of the obtained 1i hter hydrocarbon, su jectin the remaining eavier condensate to super eating under sufficient pressure to store kinetic heat energ therein, then discharging the condensate 1nto the bottom of the still for expansion thereof into vapor to permit the liberated kinetic heat ener to break up such vapors and any oil in e still to liberate additional lighter hydrocarbon, and fractionally condensing the resulting still vapors and removing the lighter hydrocarbon condensate.

3. In a system for treatin hydrocarbon oil, the combination of a still, condensing apparatus for fractionally condensing the still vapors, superheating mechanism, a pump for pumping condensates from the condensing mechanism to the heatin mechanism, means for subg'ecting said con ensates to pressure during ieating thereof, and a connection from said heater into the still, such heating of the condensates and the pressure being sufficient to cause the storing of kinetic heat energy therein which heat energy is liberated in the still to break up heavier hydrocarbons into lighter hydrocarbons.

4. In a system for treating hydrocarbon oil, the combination of a still, condensing apparatus for fractionally condensing the still vapors, means for returning condensates from the condensing apparatus to the still, and means for subjecting the condensates to sufiicient pressure and heat above the normal boiling point before the condensates reach the still to cause kinetic heat energy to be stored in the condensates to be released 11 on expansion of the condensates when disc argecl into the still, such kinetic heat energy breaking up the heavier hydrocarbon into lighter hydrocarbon.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my namethis 28th day of September, A. D.

RUDOLPH R. ROSENBAUM.

DISOLAI MER 1,324,983.Rudolph R. Rosenbaum, Chica o, Ill. PROCESS AND APPARAIIUS FOB TREATING HYDROCARBONS. Patent (fated December 16, 1919. Dlsclmmer filed October 8, 1932, by the assignee, Gasoline Products Company, Inc. Hereby enters this disclaimer to the subject mutt-er of the claims thereof except as they up 1y to a process and apparatus in which the con iengates are heated separately rom the cruder hydrocarbon charge undergoing dzstlllatlon and are then brought mto contact therewith.

[Oficial Gazette November 1, 1932.1 

